ARCHBALD - Valley View School Board members plan to adopt a revised district-wide hiring policy in January, mandating full-time positions be advertised and eliminating language that suggests preference for substitutes.

The board on Tuesday voted 6-1 to approve the first of three readings for the revised policy, with an intended adoption at the Jan. 20 meeting.

Board member Chris Smith voted no, arguing the policy should include language requiring at least one board member to oversee each phase of the interview process.

The revised policy stems from questions about how candidates are selected and the transparency of the district's hiring process.

Board member Curt Camoni said the revised policy reflects the district's goal: to hire the most qualified candidate - "no matter who they are or where they are from."

The current policy suggests special consideration, or "favoritism" be given to substitute teachers, he said. But the revised policy calls for officials to judge candidates on their merits, without giving special consideration to any group, he said.

"If you were a sub, you had a leg up," Mr. Camoni said.

He noted that substitutes aren't evaluated like teachers, so being hired as a substitute teacher doesn't necessarily translate to stronger ability.

Board President Ellen Nielsen suggested the policy evens the playing field among applicants, and makes the process "as transparent as possible."

"We haven't done anything wrong in the past and we don't intend to do anything wrong in the future," she said. "There were some things that needed to be changed and brought up to speed."

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